Women in England After Imperialism
Women like Millicent Fawcett used their travels and experiences abroad as key evidence of women’s usefulness outside of the household. In attempt to prove to men that women are educated and informed enough to vote, Millicent Fawcett argued that women’s influence in foreign countries was impactful enough to demonstrate women’s capabilities. She also explained the importance of women’s suffrage in the context of the world and from an imperialistic mindset: “Therefore our best chance of keeping our place among ‘the masculine nations of the Europe’ is to go on steadily developing the already large degree of freedom and power already allowed to women in England” (Fawcett, 559). Fawcett also comments that the work women did abroad reflected well upon not only those women who did the work, but also the men of the country. As she quotes one man, “If England produces this sort of women, what splendid fellows the men must be!” (Fawcett, 559). Women’s work abroad empowered women’s argument for increased rights and liberties within England. Women presented the argument in such a way that posed the advances for women as advances for England as an imperialistic nation that, by increasing liberties for women, would remain powerful over other subordinate nations that did not provide such rights to their citizens.
